This invention relates generally to a combination smoke and carbon monoxide detector. More particularly, the invention relates to a smoke and carbon monoxide detector that is self-powered and rechargeable.
Smoke detectors are well known in the prior art. Two examples of modern smoke alarms are provided in U.S. Pat. No. 4,827,244 to Bellavia and U.S. Pat. No. 4,166,960 to Meili. Typically, smoke detectors provide an audible alarm to alert nearby people of a fire. Smoke detectors may also include lights to help direct persons toward exits during the course of a fire.
Improved smoke detectors not only sound an alarm when smoke is detected, but also activate powerful lights or flashing strobes to help direct people to an exit. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,649,376 to Frank discloses the use of powerful flashing xenon lamps to pierce smoke and direct people to an exit. Other examples of such visual technology are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,148,023 to Elkin, 4,570,155 to Skarman, and 4,763,115 to Cota. While these devices are useful is some circumstances, the flashing incandescent lights can tend to daze or confuse, rather than direct, persons, especially in a smoky room where the orientation of the flashes may not be readily apparent. Furthermore, intense flashing lights destroy night vision and may cause more harm than good to confused persons attempting to escape a dark and smoky building.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,763,115 to Cota further discloses the use of a redundant circuit that activates by a central audible alarm to trigger a smoke alarm and flashing circuits. U.S. Pat. No. 5,572,183 to Sweeney discloses a device that sweeps a laser beam across a plurality of mirrors. Each mirror directs the laser beam onto the floor at a different location. The path of the laser beams move toward a building exit. U.S. Pat. No. 5,140,301 to Watanabe further discloses a centrally controlled smoke detector network that generates a laser, which is guided and oscillated by a controlling mirror, to direct persons to a building exit point.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,181,251 to Kelly also discloses a smoke detector that includes a pulse laser in a single housing with a detection means. The pulse laser is mounted on a laser point means which allows for pointing the laser in multiple directions.
The prior art does not teach a multi-powered fire alarm comprising rechargeable and removable batteries. Further, there is a need for a self-powered, rechargeable fire alarm that continues to function even when not hard-wired or powered by a “traditional” 9-volt battery. Moreover, the prior art does not disclose a system for deactivating a fire alarm absent actuating a device located on the exterior of the detector unit.
Accordingly, a self-powered rechargeable smoke and carbon monoxide detector is needed. Such a detector should include a base unit that connects directly into a 110-volt light bulb socket thereby requiring no battery maintenance and no need for drilling holes or otherwise using hand tools to install the detector. Moreover, the smoke and carbon monoxide detector should include a socket for reception of a 110-volt light bulb, thereby not precluding use of the 110-volt socket as a light source. The smoke and carbon monoxide detector should also include a means for quickly and easily silencing the alarm without actually touching the detector. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides further related advantages.